VARIETIES OF THE HUMAN SPECIES. 
131 
U. HOMO SEMITICUS.— AllAMEANS. 
Syn. Homo Arabicus I3ory, Ess. Zool. I. 162. — Fisch. Syn. Mam. 3. 
Le Rameau AramSen, ou de Sxbie. — Cuv. Reg. Anim. I. 81. — Less. 
Mam. 24. 
The Aramean or Syrian branch of the Human Species is sta- 
tioned to the soutli of the regions inhabited by the Proper Cauca- 
sians. It has produced the Assyrians ; the Clialdeans ; the ever- 
unconquerable Arabs, who attempted under Mahomet to render 
themselves masters of the woidd; the Phoenicians, the Jews, the 
Abyssinians, and other Arabian colonies ; and probably also the 
Egyptians. It is from this branch, ever prone to the dissemination 
of mystical doctrines, that the most widely-prevalent systems of 
religion have derived their origin. Science and literature have 
somcitinies flourished among them, but always under a repulsive 
form or a figurative style. 
1. Arabicus. — Arabians. 
Syn. H. Arabicus, (b.) An amicus Fisch. Syn. Mam. 3. 
Race AuAMiiiUE (Oiuentale) Bory, Ess. Zool. I. 179. 
Race Arabe Maltc-Brun, Geog. Univ. — Desmoul. Tal). 
Icon. Blumenb. Dec. Cran. I. t. 1 ; IV. t. 31, and VI. t. 52. (Skulls of Algyp- 
tian Mummies.) IV. I. 34, and HI. t. 28. (Skulls of Jews.) 
In the primary division of the Arameans, we include all nations and 
tribes who speak dialects nearly resembling the Hebrew. Of these, 
we may enumerate the Old Syriac, spoken by the tribes in the neigli- 
bourhood of Damascus and Mount Libanus; the Hamyariteand Koreish- 
ite dialects of the Arabic, the latter of which is consecrated by being tlie 
language of the Koran ; and the Coptic, a relic of tiie ancient AJgyptian, 
with its dialects, the Memphitic, Saidic, and perhaps also the Bashmooric.' 
The Hebrew and its dialect the Chaldee are well known as the original 
language of tlie more ancient division of our Sacrod Scriptures. 
The Arab race, which the conquests of Mahomet liave distributed over 
an extensive territory, is distinguished by an oval but elongated face, ele- 
vated forehead and prominent chin ; the nose well marked, and in general 
aquiline ; the eyes black or deep brown, of large size, and of a peculiar 
expression in the females, which has oftou led to tlieir being compared to 
those of the Gazelle. Their eye-brows arc tolerably thick and arched, 
tlieir lips narrow, and the mouth agreeable. Their hair, which is black, 
smooth, seldom curly, and rather coarse, usually grows to an extraordi- 
nary length j and tlie women wear it in plaits, which commonly hang as 
low as the ancles, Tlic Arab is rather of an elevated stature ; while on 
the contrary the Arab female is diminutive — a disparity between the sexes 
which seems to be one of the characteristics of their race. The Arab 
Women being exceedingly precocious soon lose their powers of procrea- 
tion, while ilie men preserve their youthful vigour to an advanced age. 
This physical peculiarity lias rendered polygamy from the earliest ages“ 
the prevailing custom of the Arabic races. Circumcision — a rite once 
sanctioned by Religion — appears to liave tended greatly to preserve these 
races from alliances witli foreign nations. Tlie modern Jews, dispersed 
in all parts where a lucrative commerce prevails, have maintained to the 
present day many of the sacred institutions of their ancestors, and the 
same abliorrence of swine’s flesh,'’ with other liranclies of the Aramean 
race. By a kind of over-rclineincnt, the Arabian devotee, according to 
Sonnini, occasionally extends the practice of circumcision furtlier than 
nntiquity would have authorised.* * 
Tile modern Arab has been not improperly termed the br(iw7i variety 
of the White races. On the burning sands of Abyssinia liis skin acquires 
n deep tint, but becomes almost etiolated in the cool mountain valleys of 
the Same territory, wliile the females of rank, confined to their tents, are 
of a dazzling, and often an insipid whiteness. The brown tint of their 
skin seems, therefore, to be ratlier an accidental result of climate than a 
Peculiarity of race.*’ 
Tile Bedouin Arab of the desert preserves the same predatory habits 
’t® in the days ol Jacob or Moses ; and by the assistance of the Drome- 
'iary and tlie Horse, with some cattle, he is enabled to maintain the iioma- 
*^'0 life in a country of peculiar sterility. All his senses acquire from habit 
•to extraordinary acuteness, in detecting the traces of an enemy in the sand, 
or tile footsteps ofalost Camel among thousands of other impressions. A 
stranger is usually received as an enemy ; yet some instances of a roman- 
tic hospitality are not unknown.” The genuine Arab possesses a poeti- 
cal imagination, which often degenerates into extravagance. Religious 
enthusiasm and fanaticism seem in all ages to have been congenial to his 
disposition. 
Many tribes, devoting themselves to agriculture, and especially to com- 
merce, exhibit a peculiar tact and penetration in matters relating to their 
own pecuniary advantage. 
The splendid monuments of ancient .Algypt attest the early period at 
which tlie arts were cultivated by these races, but tlie writings of the 
Arabian physicians in the middle ages exhibit the extreme limit of their 
scientific attainments. 
We may recognise the Arabian features in the inhabitants of a large 
portion of tlie east coast of Africa, in the Comora Islands, Socotora, and 
the north of Madagascar, though often blended with the traits oi' the 
genuine Moor, the Ethiopian, and the Caffre. 
2. Atlaniicus. — Atlantic Races. 
Syn. H. Arabicus (a.) Atlanticus. — Fisch. Syn. Mam. 3. 
Race Ailantiquk (Oocidentale).— Bory, Ess. Zool. I. 174. 
Icon. Blumenb. Dec. Cran. V. t. 42. (Head of the Mummy of an ancient 
Guanehe from Tenerifle.) 
The caverns of the Peak of Tenerifle liave preserved the lemains of an 
ancient branch of the Aramean race, whicli tlie pliilological researches of 
MM. Horneraann and Marsdeti have proved to be allied to that of the 
Berbers or SliMiooks, who inhabit a large portion of tlie north of Africa. 
To this race, whose eaily civilization appears undoubted, we must refer 
the ancient Plioenicians, the Nuraidiaus, and Carthaginians, and probably 
also the G etulians and Garamantes. From the invasions of Greeks and 
Romans, Goths and Vandals, Turks and Arabs, the Atlantic races of 
the north of Africa exhibit many characteristics of the other white races, 
such as fine liair, tending towards chestnut, and even blonde, and in the 
mountain districts some I'amilies are almost wiiite. In general, their nose 
is less aquiline than among tlie other Arameans, and they are not usually 
of so dark a colour, but approaching towards an olive tint. 
The modern Moors inherit tlie maritime genius of their Plioenician an- 
cestors, and have long been celebrated for tlieir piracies ; in which respect 
they differ remarkably from some nations of the Arabian brancli, and 
especially from the .Slgyptians, whose aversion to the sea is of great anti- 
quity. The Moorish females would be accounted beautiful in any coun- 
try. Those of tlie kingdom of Tripoli, tliough next to the iEgyptians, 
differ considerably from them, and are much taller. Like many of the 
Arab females, they tattoo their faces, especially upon the cheeks and cliin . 
Red hair, as in Turkey, is much esteemed, and tlie locks of tlieir children 
are often dyed with vctmillion. The practice of rubbing the luiir of the 
eyelids with plumbago is very general.^ 
E. HOMO SCYTHICUS .SCYTHIANS. 
Syn. Le Rameau Scythe et Tartare. — Cuv. Reg. . 411 ™. I. 82. 
Homo Scythicus (in part) Bory, Ess. Zool. I. 230. 
The Scythian and Tartar branch of the human race, established 
from the earliest ages towards the north and north-east of the 
ancient continent, has preserved its nomadic life in the immense 
plains of those regions, from wdience it has never descended upon 
the more favoured regions of the other branches, but with views of 
plunder and devastation. The Turks, who overthrew the empire 
of the Arabs, and subverted in Europe the miserable remnant of 
the Greek empire, belonged to this populous race. I’he Finns and 
Hungarians are Tartar nations, who may be almost said to have 
lost their way among the Selavonian and Teutonic Races. The 
North and East of the Caspian Sea, apparently their original country, 
contains other nations of the same origin, and who speak similar 
languages, although intermixed with a considerable number of small 
tribes, difieriiig from each other in descent as well as language. The 
Tartar nations have remained for a greater period unblended in all 
the regions which extend from the mouths of the Danube as far as 
the banks of the Irtisch, whence they have long threatened the 
* Professor Vater in Adelung’s Mithridates. 
* Genesis, and t.lie Books of Samuel, passim. 
” Pliny (Nat. Hist., lib. VIII.) imagines that the Hog cannot live in Arabia. 
* Cn dt'veloppement excessif des nympbes a rendu prosquo nooessaire nne operation analogue h la circonoision ohoz les homines. Consult on this subjoct Sonnini 
’oyage en Egypt«; also Vircy, Hist. Nat. du Gen. Hum., tomo I. ’ 
® Niebuhr's Description do I'AiAbie, and Burckbardt’s TraveLs in Arabia, passim. 
Syrie), Niebulir, and Burckhardt (Notes on the Bedouins and Wahabys), give many interesting details regarding the manners and customs of tb<» 
^ Buff. Hist. Nat., tome III. 430. 
